Consolation Prize

The latest firmware for the Sony PS3 (2.40) was released today and contained a few tasty morsels to keep gamers happy. Of primary interest to the majority was the introduction of “Trophies”.

Similar in nature to Microsoft’s “Achievements” on the Xbox 360, trophies are earned upon completion of a specific game related task and a little notification will kindly pop-up in the top right hand corner of the screen informing you of your success. However unlike “Achievements” which award a number of points contributing to an overall gamer score trophies are instead just classed as “bronze”, “silver”, “gold” or “platinum, and as you would imagine the easier tasks are classed as “bronze” whilst more difficult ones “gold”. A “platinum” trophy of which there is but one per game is only awarded once all other trophies have been attained for that game.

All these trophies however have little value unless there is some sort of gauge with which gamers can compare themselves against. In Sony’s case each PSN account now has a “Level” (starting at 1) and each trophy earned contributes a certain amount of experience towards the next level. The easiest way to think of this system is as if you’re leveling up your PSN account (like an RPG). We can already assume that thousands of gamers across the globe are beavering away in order to obtain the highest level possible and boast that they’re currently top of the tree.

A gamers “Trophy Collection” can be viewed from the XMB under the “Game” category and will show a list of trophies per game, both complete and incomplete, with a simple description for each and the date and time it was accomplished. A summary is also available showing the percentage complete and total number of trophies per class. In addition the friends list has also been updated to support trophies and selecting a user will now show the latest trophies earned, the players “Level”, and the total number of trophies. You may also switch to a more detailed trophy breakdown by selecting the “R1″ button and below the dialog is the option to “compare trophies”.

The introduction of “Trophies” is an excellent idea, and some would say a necessity to counter the success of “Achievements” on the Xbox 360. At least Sony have, however, put a little bit of a spin on the whole scenario rather than just directly plagiarising Microsoft’s concept completely. The trophy system is well implemented and integration for future games is a given. Hopefully support for existing games will continue to grow; Super Stardust HD has already been patched and there’s talk that Uncharted: Drakes Fortune will be retrofitted next. Achievements, trophies, accomplishments, or whatever moniker they’re given are a welcome addition to any gaming platform and a great way to expand the longevity of a game. I’ve certainly played a few games after “finishing” them on the Xbox 360 just to get the extra points!

Image courtesy of
stock.xchng